5 Causes of Brown Discharge during Pregnancy: When to Set the Alarm Bell Ringing?

When a woman is pregnant her health and the way she feels is and must be her greatest concern. Should you be anxious about brown discharge during pregnancy? In most cases yes, though sometimes it may be a normal condition. It has to be highlighted, however, that there’s a golden rule during pregnancy: “You must inform your doctor of any manifestation of brown discharge that you have”. It will be important to understand the nature of your spotting.

What’s the Character of Your Brown Discharge?

- A few drops of brown discharge in the 1st week of pregnancy. As a non-recurring phenomenon, it’s normal. Why does it happen? After an ovule is impregnated, it travels through the Fallopian tube and becomes embedded in the lining of the womb. When that occurs, the lining of the uterus may get slightly damaged, causing a small amount of brown spotting – just a few drops. That is a kind of bleeding that occurs just once and has no progress. However, in many women the embedment of the embryo proceeds without any discharge whatsoever.

- Constant or recurring brown spotting in the 1st trimester of pregnancy. This kind of discharge may carry a threat of miscarriage. Why? Usually a threat of miscarriage is associated with the lack of the female sex hormone progesterone. The major function of progesterone is to save a fetus in the uterus. Lack of progesterone causes separation of some fragments of the womb lining. That’s exactly what happens when women have regular menstruation. Menses are also associated with a sharp drop of the progesterone level in the second part of the menstrual cycle. When the womb lining separates, its blood vessels are damaged, causing constant or reoccurring bleeding.

- Moderate reccurring brown spotting in the 5th – 8th week of pregnancy, accompanied by lower abdominal pain. Those are typical symptoms of ectopic pregnancy when the inner rupture of the Fallopian tube or so-called tubal abortion is triggered. Lower abdominal pain in this situation is caused by the hemorrhage into the Fallopian tube and is experienced on the side where the pregnancy has been developed.

- Moderate recurring brown bleeding in the 2nd part of pregnancy. This is a sign of premature separation of the placenta that is located properly. This phenomenon may be accompanied by abundant bleeding. But if placenta is separated in little parts, a woman experiences a moderate brown discharge which is a very dangerous condition for both the fetus and the pregnant woman. The baby, in this case, would lack oxygen and nutrients that are supplied through the placenta. This condition is fraught with acute placenta separation and abundant bleeding that can’t be dealt with at home without qualified medical assistance.

What Medical Measures Can Be Taken?

Your doctor will provide you with treatment, based on your condition, diagnosis and term of pregnancy. Some of the suggestions include the following:

Brown spotting in the 1st trimester, indicating the beginning of spontaneous miscarriage due to the lack of the hormone progesterone, is treated with prescription of progesterone analogues like Utrogestan, for instance.

In the case of ectopic pregnancy, urgent surgery is needed. The risk is high that the growing fetus will rupture the wall of the Fallopian tube completely and cause internal bleeding. Therefore, if you experience lower abdominal pain with brown spotting during pregnancy, you must call the ambulance immediately.

Brown spotting in the 2nd part of pregnancy is considered to be an alarming sign. That’s why a woman with these symptoms need to be examined urgently and diagnosed by doctors in order to prescribe the necessary treatment. Remember that timely medical assistance will help to save your pregnancy as well as the life and health of your baby.

These were typical causes of brown discharge during pregnancy. As you can see, this condition should alert you. We all know that any kind of anxiety is highly undesirable for a pregnant woman. To eliminate this anxiety and to prevent potential threats to your baby’s life and your own health, contact your doctor immediately and inform him/her of your condition.